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Conceptual Questions



1

Compare the way advocates of the impetus theory and the way Galileo accounted for the motion of a body moving at constant speed in a given direction.
2

What would Kepler have considered to be the path of a planet if it were influenced by the anima motrix but was not affected by the magnetism of the Sun?
3

In what sense does an orbiting satellite accelerate even if its speed remains constant?
4

Two forces, oppositely directed, act on a body. The force acting toward the right is twice as strong as the force acting toward the left. Describe the motion of the body.
5

Suppose a person is stranded on a frozen lake of perfectly smooth (frictionless) ice. Think of a method for the person to use to reach the shore of the frozen lake.
6

Suppose that a satellite is given a speed 10% larger than circular velocity. What would be the shape of the trajectory of the body?
7

The tidal force that the Earth exerts on the Moon is stronger than that exerted by the Moon on the Earth. Explain why this is so.
8

The tidal acceleration due to the Moon is twice as large as the tidal acceleration due to the Sun. Show how this leads to a total tidal acceleration about three times as large for spring tides as for neap tides.







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